Overview of The Seven Years War (1756 - 63)

Overview of The Seven Years War (1756 - 63) In Europe, the Seven Years War was fought between an alliance of France, Russia, Sweden, Austria and Saxony against Prussia, Hanover and Great Britain from 1756 - 63. However, the war had an international element, particularly as Britain and France fought for domination of North America and India. As such, it has been called the first ‘world war’. The theatre in North America is called the ‘French Indian’ war, and in German,y the Seven Years War has been known as the ‘Third Silesian War’. It is notable for the adventures of Frederick the Great, a man whose major early successes and later tenacity were matched by one of the most incredible pieces of luck ever to end a major conflict in history (that bit is on page two). Origins: The Diplomatic Revolution The Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle ended the War of the Austrian Succession in 1748, but to many, it was only an armistice, a temporary halt to the war. Austria had lost Silesia to Prussia, and was angry at both Prussia – for taking the wealthy land – and her own allies for not making sure it was returned. She started weighing up her alliances and seeking out alternatives. Russia grew worried about the growing power of Prussia, and wondered about waging a ‘preventative’ war to stop them. Prussia, pleased at having gained Silesia, believed it would take another war to keep it, and hoped to gain more territory during it. In the 1750s, as tensions rose in North America between British and French colonists competing for the same land, Britain acted to try and prevent the ensuing war destabilising Europe by altering its alliances. These actions, and a change of heart by Frederick II of Prussia – known by his many later admirers as ‘the Great’ – triggered what has been called the ‘Diplomatic Revolution’, as the previous system of alliances broke down and a new one replaced it, with Austria, France and Russia allied against Britain, Prussia and Hanover. Europe: Frederick Gets His Retaliation in First In May 1756, Britain and France officially went to war, triggered by French attacks on Minorca; the recent treaties stopped other nations being sucked in to help. But with the new alliances in place, Austria was poised to strike and take Silesia back, and Russia was planning a similar initiative, so Frederick II of Prussia – aware of the plotting – initiated conflict in an attempt to gain an advantage. He wanted to defeat Austria before France and Russia could mobilise; he also wanted to seize more land. Frederick thus attacked Saxony in August 1756 to try and break its alliance with Austria, seize its resources and set up his planned 1757 campaign. He took the capital, accepting their surrender, incorporating their troops and sucking huge funds out of the state. Prussian forces then advanced into Bohemia, but were unable to win the victory that would keep them there and they retreated to Saxony. They advanced back again in early 1757, winning the battle of Prague on May 6, 1757, thanks in no small part to Frederick’s subordinates. However, the Austrian army had retreated into Prague, which Prussia besieged. Luckily for the Austrians, Frederick was defeated on June 18th by a relief force at the Battle of Kolin and forced to retreat out of Bohemia. Europe: Prussia Under Attack Prussia now appeared to be attacked from all sides, as a French force defeated the Hanoverians under an English general – the King of England was also the King of Hanover – occupied Hanover and marched to Prussia, while Russia came in from the East and defeated other Prussians, although they followed this up by retreating and only occupied East Prussia the next January. Austria moved on Silesia and Sweden, new to the Franco-Russo-Austrian alliance, also attacked. For a while Frederick sank into self pity, but responded with a display of arguably brilliant generalship, defeating a Franco-German army at Rossbach on November 5th, and an Austrian one at Leuthenon December 5th; both of which had outnumbered him greatly. Neither victory was enough to force an Austrian (or French) surrender. From now on the French would target a resurgent Hanover, and never fought Frederick again, while he moved quickly, defeating one enemy army and then another before they could effectively team up, using his advantage of shorter, internal lines of movement. Austria soon learnt not to fight Prussia in the large, open areas which favoured Prussia’s superior movement, although this was constantly reduced by casualties. Britain began to harass the French coast to try and draw troops away, while Prussia pushed the Swedes out. Europe: Victories and Defeats The British ignored the surrender of their previous Hanoverian army and returned to the region, intent on keeping France at bay. This new army was commanded by a close ally of Frederick’s (his brother in law) and kept French forces busy in the west and away from both Prussia and the French colonies. They won the battle of Minden in 1759, and made a series of strategic manoeuvres to tie up the enemy armies, although were constrained by having to send reinforcements to Frederick. Frederick attacked Austria, but was outmanoeuvred during a siege and forced to retreat into Silesia. He then fought a draw with the Russians at Zorndorf, but took heavy casualties (a third of his army); he was then beaten by Austria at Hochkirch, losing a third again. By the end of the year he had cleared Prussia and Silesia of enemy armies, but was greatly weakened, unable to pursue anymore grand offensives; Austria was cautiously pleased. By now, all belligerents had spent huge sums. Frederick was bought to battle again at Battle of Kunersdorf in August 1759, but was heavily defeated by an Austro-Russian army. He lost 40% of the troops present, although he managed to keep the remainder of his army in operation. Thanks to Austrian and Russian caution, delays and disagreements, their advantage was not pressed and Frederick avoided being forced to surrender. In 1760 Frederick failed in another siege, but won minor victories against the Austrians, although at Torgau he won because of his subordinates rather than anything he did. France, with some Austrian support, tried to push for peace. By the end of 1761, with enemies wintering on Prussian land, things were going badly for Frederick, whose once highly trained army was now bulked out with hastily gathered recruits, and whose numbers where well below those of the enemy armies. Frederick was increasingly unable to perform the marches and outflankings which had bought him success, and was on the defensive. Had Frederick’s enemies overcome their seeming inability to co-ordinate – thanks to xenophobia, dislike, confusion, class differences and more - Frederick might already have been beaten. In control of only a part of Prussia, Frederick’s efforts looked doomed, despite Austria being in a desperate financial position. Europe: Death as Prussian Saviour Frederick hoped for a miracle, and he got one. The implacably anti-Prussian Tsarina of Russia died, to be succeeded by Tsar Peter III. He was favourable to Prussia and made immediate peace, sending troops to help Frederick. Although Peter was assassinated quickly afterwards – not before trying to invade Denmark – the new Tsar – Peter’s wife, Catherine the Great – kept the peace agreements, although she withdrew Russian troops which had been helping Frederick. This freed Frederick to win more engagements against Austria. Britain took the chance to end their alliance with Prussia – thanks partly to mutual antipathy between Frederick and Britain’s new Prime Minister- declaring war on Spain and attacking their Empire instead. Spain invaded Portugal, but were halted with British aid. The Global War Although British troops did fight on the continent, slowly increasing in numbers, the Britain had preferred to send financial support to Frederick and Hanover – subsidies larger than any before in British history – rather than fight in Europe. This was in order to send troops and ships elsewhere in the world. The British had been involved in fighting in North America since 1754, and the government under William Pitt decided to further prioritise the war in America, and hit the rest of France’s imperial possessions, using their powerful navy to harass France where she was weakest. In contrast, France focused on Europe first, planning an invasion of Britain, but this possibility was ended by the Battle of Quiberon Bay in 1759, shattering France’s remaining Atlantic naval power and their ability to reinforce America. England had effectively won the ‘French-Indian’ war in North America by 1760, but peace there had to wait until the other theatres were settled. In 1759 a small, opportunistic British force had seized Fort Louis on the Senegal River in Africa, acquiring plenty of valuables and suffering no casualties. Consequently, by the end of the year, all French trading posts in Africa were British. Britain then attacked France in the West Indies, taking the rich island of Guadeloupe and moving on to other wealth producing targets. The British East India Company retaliated against a local leader and attacked French interests in India and, aided greatly by the British Royal Navy dominating the Indian Ocean as it had the Atlantic, ejected France from the area. By war’s end, Britain had a vastly increased Empire, France a much reduced one. Britain and Spain also went to war, and Britain shocked their new enemy by seizing the hub of their Caribbean operations, Havana, and a quarter of the Spanish Navy. Peace None of Prussia, Austria, Russia or France had been able to win the decisive victories needed to force their enemies to surrender, but by 1763 the war in Europe had drained the belligerents and they sought peace, Austria, facing bankruptcy and feeling unable to proceed without Russia, France defeated abroad and unwilling to fight on to support Austria, and England keen to cement global success and end the drain on their resources. Prussia was intent on forcing a return to the state of affairs before the war, but as peace negotiations dragged on Frederick sucked as much as he could out of Saxony, including kidnapping girls and relocating them in depopulated areas of Prussia. The Treaty of Paris was signed on February 10th, 1763, settling issues between Britain, Spain and France, humiliating the latter, former greatest power in Europe. Britain gave Havana back to Spain, but received Florida in return. France compensated Spain by giving her Louisiana, while England got all French lands in North America east of the Mississippi except New Orleans. Britain also gained much of the West Indies, Senegal, Minorca and land in India. Other possessions changed hands, and Hanover was secured for the British. On February 10th, 1763 the Treaty of Hubertusburg between Prussia and Austria confirmed the status quo: Prussia kept Silesia, and secured its claim to ‘great power’ status, while Austria kept Saxony. As historian Fred Anderson pointed out, millions had been spent and tens of thousands had died, but nothing had changed. Consequences Britain was left as the dominant world power, albeit deeply in debt, and the cost had introduced new problems in the relationship with its colonists (this would go on to cause the American Revolutionary War, another global conflict that would end in a British defeat.) France was on the road to economic disaster and revolution. Prussia had lost 10% of its population but, crucially for Frederick’s reputation, had survived the alliance of Austria, Russia and France which had wanted to reduce or destroy it, although many historians claim Frederick is given too much credit for this as outside factors allowed it. Reforms followed in many of the belligerent’s government and military, with Austrian fears that Europe would be on the road to a disastrous militarism were well founded. The failure of Austria to reduce Prussia to second rate power doomed it to a competition between the two for the future of Germany, benefitting Russia and France, and leading to a Prussian centred Germany empire. The war also saw a shift in the balance of diplomacy, with Spain and Holland, reduced in importance, replaced by two new Great Powers: Prussia and Russia. Saxony was ruined.

War Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

War Strategy - Essay Example Krepinevich in an influential article published in 1994. As a close associate of Andrew W. Marshall, the American godfather of the RMA concept, Krepinevich's definition carried unusual weight. He explained RMA as "What is a military revolution It is what occurs when the application of new technologies into a significant number of military systems combines with innovative operational concepts and organizational adaptation in a way that fundamentally alters the character and conduct of conflict. It does so by producing a dramatic increase-often an order of magnitude or greater-in the combat potential and military effectiveness of armed forces". (1). Soviet writers actually coined the term RMA in the 1950s to describe changes in warfare wrought by nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles. In identifying American military capabilities with an RMA, Soviet and then U.S. military analysts were communicating something profound about the historical importance of U.S. long-range precision strike capabilities, which were replicating the battlefield effects small nuclear weapons had on armored forces. (2). By the 1980s, security challenges in each area called for advanced conventional warfighting forces. Conventional warfighting innovations were pursued to restore deterrence credibility in Europe. A wellspring of studies and prolific media references to 'revolutionary' warfighting capabilities permeated defense planning discussions following the American military victory over Iraq in the 1991 Gulf War. Even among the more conservative analysts, defense planning discussions and military thought were dominated by an American RMA thesis. This thesis faded in the late-1990s but remains central to more recent defense transformation discussions. (4). The RMA Thesis Usually identified in hindsight, after a stunning military success, RMAs involve radical changes in the conduct of military operations and sometimes even the characterization of war-fighting. The 1990s witnessed a shift in American military thought and defense discourse as new terms and concepts were widely used to describe U.S. military forces, doctrine, and capabilities. (3). The American RMA thesis holds that a historically significant shift in U.S. military power was underway by the end of the Cold War based on the synergy of advanced intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities, automated target identification systems, information-enabled weapons, superior education and training, and joint war-fighting capabilities. Among the RMA terminology retained in U.S. defense discourse are terms like information superiority, rapid dominance, dominant battle-space knowledge, common operating pictures, decision superiority, persistent

Catherine the Great in Russian History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Catherine the Great in Russian History - Essay Example Peter the Great (1682 – 1725) was fascinated by Western Europe and its advancements in the late 1600s so he took steps to modernize Russia and set up economic programs, a strong armed forces and a centralized administration. However, due to hostilities with his son, Peter the Great failed to designate a successor. This led to a power vacuum after his death. In 1762, Peter III became Tsar but he was weak and incompetent so he was overthrown and murdered. His wife, Catherine, a German Princess from Pomerania took over affairs of the Kingdom when Peter III passed on. Catherine ruled till 1796. This paper looks at the plans of Catherine the Great and the major areas she changed in Russia as well as an evaluation of her contribution to Russia's Westernization and modernization. Plans of Catherine the Great The plans of Catherine the Great can be seen in some inherent elements of her lifestyle and the principles she embraced as a ruler. â€Å"Catherine showed more originality than any previous ruler of Russia and than most rulers at the time in Europe† (Madariage 206). This means that there are some elements in her actions that showed her intentions to improve her country. First of all, her background as a Western European showed that she had a tendency to tilt Russia towards a modernized nation that was on the same level as her German homeland. Thus, it comes as no surprise that she had several inclinations that were similar to Peter the Great who also had a connection to Western Europe. Secondly, there is evidence that Catherine had strong connections to the Enlightenment that was going on in Western Europe during her reign. Gillespie writes that â€Å"Although she was quite young, Catherine was deeply invested in acquiring knowledge and became intellectually and politically astute, mainly through reading and writing,† (285). This shows that from the onset, she had a vision of changing her kingdom to match up with other Western European nations . A further evidence is given by Viault who states that Catherine â€Å"corresponded actively with Voltaire and other prominent eighteenth-century thinkers† (130). This indicates that Catherine was open to new ideas and was ready to link up the country with the other changes that were going on around her kingdom. From these pointers, it is logical to infer that Catherine the Great had a plan and an intention of Westernizing Russia when she took power. However, the realities on the ground made it quite difficult for her to attain her plans. Implementation of her Plans In order to Westernize Russia, Catherine believed that there was the need to change and modify the educational system of the country. One of the earliest things that Catherine did was to put in place an educational system that was designed to develop individuals intellectually and morally with the end of equipping them with knowledge and skills that would support a sense of civic responsibility and allegiance to the state (Riasonovsky 12). This is because there was a sharp contrast between Russia and Western Europe. And this contrast lied in the fact that the vast majority of Russians were serfs who were forced to remain loyal to the nobles who ruled them. Thus, to promote a sense of national unity and national pride as Russians, she put in place an educational system that promoted national integration as well as independent thinking in order to prepare the people for a Westernized model of nationhood. With the educational system in place, Catherine set off to nurture a system of governance that was similar to the Western nations. Catherine went on to issue the Instructions which was a set of laws that were meant to recognize and respect the rights of

Resource Based And Market Based View Of Strategy

Resource Based And Market Based View Of Strategy Resource based view (RBV) of strategy concentrates in recognising and utilising the organizations resources. It is an important, essential and an inside out management concept that is useful in developing a successful strategy. The company evaluates the environment on the basis of available resources at its expense. Market based view (MBV) of strategy designs the company policies and strategy based on the trends and the nature of the industrys environment. It helps in selecting the market combination for the product, in which the company utilises its strategy. The strategy helps in designing the structure and strategy of the company based on the market analysis of the industry. Dells Strategy Dell had moved on from its prior resource based view of strategy to market based view of strategy, due to the hurdles faced after recession and from its market competitors like HP. Dell started outsourcing for its product manufacturing like Taiwans Foxconn Group and sales to stores like PC World, Wal-Mart and many more. The company started to restructure its strategy just as it lost the position as the worldwide market share leader in computer industry to HP. According to research firm IDC, HP had a worldwide PC market share of 19.3% for the quarter ending June 30 compared to Dells 16.1%. In 2005, Dell dominated the playing field with 18.2% market share compared to HPs 15.7%. (Can Dells Turnaround Strategy Keep HP at Bay, 2007). Dells success had been its customer approach, You tell us what you want and we will build it for you. That approach has worked well with corporate [information technology] people and professional users. But that is a cut-throat market since these people have a good knowledge of prices. Dell always had a hard time with the non-expert buyers. (Can Dells Turnaround Strategy Keep HP at Bay, 2007). Dell started to refashion the companys strategy to largely compete with its rival HP. With the change in the companys strategy challenges were faced, with its two pillars of business model supply chain efficiency and built to order product sales to its customer (Can Dells Turnaround Strategy Keep HP at Bay, 2007). Strategic Options Product Development Pursue Mid-Range Server Growth By 2001, Dell was the market leader in entry level servers, but had no presence in the mid-range server market. Pursuing this growth option could result in increased market share and higher profits due to the higher selling prices and markups of these units, but could be risky if technology suddenly changes. Increased post sale costs are also a concern, as server sales dont just stop upon delivery; they require continued service regarding reliability, serviceability, availability, and manageability. Pursue Associated Services Growth within the US, 2000 service revenues accounted for over 37% of $2 billion in total revenues. This business unit was becoming an increasingly important part of Dells portfolio with longevity, able to stand the test of time and market uncertainty, no matter what turn technology took. Market Stagnation While the market is recovering from recession, Dell should focus on its current market share. Once, the market is up and moving, Dell can start employing its strategies for achieving traction. Though, this option could prove risky and increase the gap between its competitors in the process. RECOMMENDATIONS IMPLEMENTATION Since, the market growth has stopped significantly compared to late 20th and early 21st century. The only improvements are required in the form of limited PC software/hardware upgrades until the state of the economy is revived. Thus, Dell needs to start investing in other areas like mass storage, servers and services in new markets. Dells ability to offer its products at minimal rates, would allow it to gain a competitive advantage against its rivals. Also, the customer service provided by Dell would aid the company in keeping hold of its customers. An expansion of the services group should also be pursued based on customer needs, which will vary around the globe. While, Dell continued to partner with third-party services firms, it should also bulk up on its own services capabilities so it can provide customers with more competitive broad services offerings. Dell needs to realize that it would have to expand its services capability significantly in order to be taken seriously in the industry (Breen, Bill, 2004, living in Dell Time. Fast Company). Dell should also consider its entry in new markets with its current products which have been left untapped such as Chin in Asia, Brazil and Argentina in South America. Being the first to enter these markets would allow dell mark it dominance. The company should study the trends and nature of the new markets in minute detail to gain complete advantage and increase its market share segment around the globe. Hence, Dell should need to consider a wide range of options, including the ones mentioned above and, plan and design its strategy in accordance to its resources. References: Wharton School of University of Pennsylvania, 2007, Can Dells Turnaround Strategy Keep HP at Bay viewed 10th April 2011 Breen, Bill, (2004), Living in Dell Time, media release, November 2004, Fast Company, viewed 12th April 2011, Bibliography Nanette Byrnes and Peter Burrows, Where Dell Went Wrong, Business Week, February 19, 2007, pp. 62-63 Stefan Stern, Dells Chief Kevin Rollins-My Part in His Downfall, Financial Times, Febru ­ary 6, 2007, p. 10. Thomas J. Peters and Robert H. Waterman, Jr., In Search of Excellence: Lessons from Americas Best-Run Companies (New York, NY: Warner Books, 1982). About Dell Ventures. 2004. Dell Computer Corporation. 30 Apr 2004. http://www.dell.com. Hill, Charles W. L., and Jones, Gareth R. Strategic Management Theory: An Integrated Approach. USA: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004. Pearson Publication, Exploring Corporate Strategy by Gerry Johnson, Kevan Scholes and Richard Whittington Answer 4) Dell is the worlds leading computer systems company. They design, build and customize products and services to satisfy a wide range of customer requirements. From the server, storage and Premier Services needs of the largest global corporations, to those of consumers at home. They do business directly with customers, one at a time, and believe. They do it better than anyone on the planet. We attribute Dells success within the computer industry to its unique, low-cost business model, direct sales approach and collaborative research and development. By focusing on leveraging its core competency in supply-chain management and low-cost manufacturing within mature technology segments, such as PCs, Dell has a proven strategy to disrupt traditional technology business models that rely on proprietary technology or multistage sales and distribution. A key part of Dells success stems from leveraging widely available industry technology within a low-cost manufacturing framework as a way of displacing the competition. All this was made possible because of the Vision of one man, Michael Dell. Michael Saul Dell (born February 23, 1965) is an American business magnate and the founder and chief executive officer of Dell Inc. He is one of the richest people in the world, ranked 44 with a net worth of US$14.6 billion in 2011. Michael Dell is considered a very accessible CEO and a role model for young executives because he had done what many of them were trying to do. He delegated authority to subordinates, believeing that the results came from tuning loose talented people who can be relied upon to do what they are supposed to do. He was a visionary leader!! Visionary leadership goes beyond charisma. Visionary leadership is the ability to create and articulate a realistic, credible, attractive vision of the future for an organization or organizational unit that grows out of and improves upon the present. This vision is so energizing that it in effect jump-starts the future by calling forth the skills, talents, and resources to make it happen. A vision differs from other forms of direction setting in several ways: A vision has clear and compelling imagery that offers an innovative way to improve Vision taps peoples emotions and energy ( Leadership Team Management) Michael Dell had them both. The key properties of a vision seem to be inspirational possibilities that are value-centered, realizable, with superior imagery and articulation. A vision is likely to fail if it doesnt offer a view of the future that is clearly and demonstrably better for the organization and its members (Inspirational Approaches to Leadership, 2008). Desirable visions fit the times and circumstances and reflect the uniqueness of the organization. People in the organization must also believe that the vision is attainable. Michael Dell has created a vision of a business that allows Dell Computer to sell and deliver a finished PC directly to a customer in fewer than eight days. The uniqueness of Michael Dells management style lies in its combination of reaching for the heights of perfection while burrowing down into every last data point. No rival has been able to imitate it. He believes that the status quo is never good enough and that once a problem is discovered, it must be dealt with quickly. He refuses to dwell on success, and instead focuses upon how improvements can be made. Excuses are not accepted. Being a hero at Dell means saving money and every employee is expected to focus on cost control. Michael Dell appears to embrace the following Fayol principles: Authority and Responsibility: Michael Dell exhibited his right to give orders and his power to exhort subordinates for obedience when he fired his top European managers because they didnt cut costs deeply enough. Unity of Direction: There is a singleness of purpose (continuous improvement and cost control) that makes possible a single plan of action to guide managers and workers in their use of organizational resources. Initiative: Initiative is required by employees, who are expected to identify ways to continuously improve upon the companys past accomplishments. Discipline: only highly disciplines employees are capable of overcoming the temptation to make excuses and consistently strive towards the achievement of corporate goals. Dell announced an aggressive global target of $62B in revenue by 2006, which meant the firm would need to make talent acquisition and development a global priority. At the same time, Dell wanted to continue to focus on cost effectiveness and operational efficiency. The companys cornerstone values and philosophy are expressed as five elements, which together comprise The Soul of Dell: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Customers à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The Dell Team à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Direct Relationships à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Global Citizenship à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Winning The company was at a point where it was asking its managers and leaders to lead differently than they ever have before. While reaching the aggressive numbers was essential, it was not enough. Instead, leaders were being called on to get to the numbers while engaging their people by offering inspiration and extraordinary leadership, integrating the Soul of Dell into their leadership styles (Kathleen Woodhouse, Michael Reidy; 2004). Below is the diagrammatic view of strategic decision making and leadership skill development at Dell. Image courtesy of : http://www.interactionassociates.com/sites/default/files/Dellcase.pdf Outcomes: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Prepared for greater leadership roles à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Expanded support network à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Greater insight into self and others à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Development Plan For any organization to be successful, leadership and management style should get altered with the life cycle of the organization. The style should match the organizations phase. Figure below shows different leadership and delegation of authority styles with organizations life cycle. Image courtesy of : http://www.interactionassociates.com/sites/default/files/Dellcase.pdf Dells strategies were also very well matched with organizations internal and external environments. Five Forces Analysis The framework formed using Michael Porters Five Forces model helps the managers to analyse the competitive forces within an industry, which assists in identifying threats and opportunities to an organization within the industry to which it belongs. Rivalry among the established firms, substitute products, potential competitors, bargaining power of buyers and, bargaining power of suppliers are the Michael Porters Five Forces. Another force, which is referred very rarely, called the complementors. Following three of the five forces, which primarily affect the personal computer industry and Dell in particular, are discussed, proving the personal computer industrys unfavourable features. The Rivalry among established firms is the most dominant forces within the personal computer industry. Based on Dells Strategic group, the industry can be studied as a consolidated industry sector, due to the industrys nature of limited competition established by the leaders like Dell, Hewlett Packard and Gateway. As a reason of oligopoly nature of the industry, the stakes for rivalry are high, as a result of a particular companys actions or moves directly aimed at affecting its competitors. A primary example can be made of HPs action selling home computers for $500, as a result of which other manufactures like Dell were forced to offer similar low-end systems. This affected the profit of rival manufactures, as the customers started flocking to get their hands on the new low-end systems, rather than the mid-range computers priced at $1000 which were sold prior to that time. Additionally, the demand has been declining, as the customers were satisfied or the real urge to upgrade their computers. As a result of which, the intensity of rivals rose, compelling the manufactures to combat to maintain their share of the market and customers. Due to these factors and high exit barriers for large manufacturers the rivalry between the established organizations within the personal computer industry is very high. The second force is the bargaining power of the buyers, which is also high in this industry. The common masses may not have the ability to bargain at large with the computer manufactures. However, large buyers like corporations and, educational institutions have significant power, due to the simple reason of buying products in massive quantities, enabling them to influence the price of the products set by the manufacturers. Whether large or individual customers the cost for switching from one manufacturer to another are minimal. Since most of the systems are based upon Wintel standard design specifications. Lastly, the ease of configuring a system yourself by purchasing the necessary components directly from the hardware suppliers or from retail outlets allow the customers to back away from the manufacturers, threatening the industry as a whole. The last force is the power of the suppliers of the industry, that is the industry providing the computer components, is also high. The primary reason to account for this force to exist is, because of the limited substitutes to majority of the components, like microprocessors and operating systems. Moreover, the costs for switching between the suppliers are significant. It would also cause problems due to hardware and software incompatibilities. For instance, was a company to move from Intel to AMD processors, they would have to go to another supplier for their motherboards, which could ultimately cause other incompatibilities, forcing them to find yet other suppliers for other components. Another example is if a company decided to move from Windows to a variant of Linux. While the operating system itself is less expensive, it is much more difficult to find applications for Linux, there are many hardware components which do not have the drivers necessary to run upon Linux, and the le arning curve is quite steep for customers, which would force a manufacturer to invest in a larger customer support staff. This analysis provided a great deal of insightful and intriguing information into Dells success, both within the personal computer industry, as well as their other ventures into the consumer electronics and computer peripheral industries. Although extremely successful in its own right, this analysis proves that without their competition, Dell would most likely not have been so successful. Much of their success came from the fact that their rivals, namely HP/Compaq and Gateway pushed Dell to improve their customer service to differentiate themselves from the competition. Furthermore, due to significant price wars within the industry, Dell had to improve their manufacturing process, quickly adopting a just-in-type system, in order to keep their manufacturing costs low, allowing them to pursue a low-cost leadership strategy alongside their differentiation strategy. References:- Kathleen Woodhouse, Michael Reidy, Accelerating the Development of High Potentials: Strategic Leadership @Dell, 2004, viewed on 8th April 2011, Inspirational Approaches to Leadership, April 2008, viewed on 8th April 2011, Leadership and Team Management, Transactional, Charismatic and Transformational Leadership, viewed on 6th April 2011,

Statistical Literature Review and Critique of Empirical Article

ARTICLE REVIEW AND CRITIQUE: â€Å"Efficiency of Brand Placement in an International Film- Effects of Exposure in a Local Context† Slim Khalbous and Merium Maazoul Journal of Creative Communications, Volume 5, Issue 1 (March 2010), p. 23-46 SYNOPSIS Product and brand placement arouses a particular interest at the announcers. However the massive use of brands in international programs incites us to wonder about the effect of the local socio-cultural context on the efficiency of this creative technique.This research presents, first an explanatory abstract frame of the influence of the local context variables and the variables of programming on the recall of the placement; and second an empirical validation realized in two phases. First of all, a qualitative analysis of contents by experts; then a quantitative study by experimentation realized with 150 individuals. The results show that, globally the effect of the local context on the memorization of the placement is direct and t hat the recall of the placed brands depends on attitudes towards the spoken language, on social interactions and some characteristics of the audience.KEYWORDS Brand placement, recall, programming, context, exposing language, social interactions The empirical application was done by showing a James Bond film that had several product placements in a part of North Africa called Tunisia; an area where a lot of international films are consumed. The study wanted to explore the â€Å"effect of the specific context related to the international film on the effectiveness of the placement in terms of memorization. In order to do this, the research had to go through three stages: (1) a state of the art, which generated some of the research propositions (2) a qualitative phase, to choose and analyze the international film, and (3) a quantitative phase, which would measure the impact of exposure in the effectiveness of placement in the film. Attitudes toward Language Effect Foreign language can improve the advertising effectiveness for a product because a foreign language attracts attention, creates a positive attitude, and is more memorable, which can be explained by Helfer’s theory of mbiguity. A study done by Khalbous and Maazaul in 2007 proved that the â€Å"attitude toward advertising is positive when the audience prefers watching the programs in French and commercials in Arabic. † Social interactions also play a huge role in product memorization and attitudes because people will remember what they were saying or doing with others while watching television or film. Individual Variables Effect Gender and the area of residence are two variables on the effectiveness of product placement.American, French, and Austrian men are more likely to accept a product seen in films than women according to studies. However, another study showed that women have more positive attitudes towards placement. â€Å"On the other hand, women would be emotionally more touched th an men, by the stimuli which surrounds them, especially television programs to which they are exposed (Schwartz et al. 1980). † The area of residence is the other factor. The wealthier areas are more likely to be less favorable towards product placement because they are exposed to it more, and have become bored with the predictability of it. According to the study of Hall (2004), the percentage of consumers who said they would try a product if they saw it in a film is 53 percent in Mexico, 49 percent in Singapore, 35 percent in India, and only 26 percent in the USA and 8 percent in France. † The Effect of Specific Context Related to the Program The appreciation of an international film, and the intensity of the emotions generated by the film were the two aspects being studied in this area of research.Most of the interest was about the impact of the characteristics of the film and how they affect the audience’s cognitive reactions. Program Liking Effect Although th ere was no link found between the film’s likability and the memory of product placement in a study conducted in 1994 by Karrh, there was evidence of a link found in 2000. In that study, Blonde & Roozen (2007) found evidence of people being more likely to remember a product placed in a film they liked. International Placement and Tunisian Local ContextThe empirical validation of the conceptual framework was conducted in two stages: the qualitative analysis to select and qualify the selected film (the visual content analysis by experts), and then (2) a quantitative study which determined the impact of the contextual variables on the effectiveness of the placement of products in the film (the experiment). Selection and Analysis of Placements in an International Film: Qualitative Stage Choice of International FilmJames Bond- Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) was the film chosen by a board of four experts for three reasons: it’s known for use of product placement, because the film was not created to pertain to a certain audience, and because the old exit date of the film eliminates short and medium term memorization. Quantitative Experimentation of the Selected Film The main focus was to test the effects of the exposure on the efficiency of placement, while controlling the external variables. Model and Hypothesis of MeasurementIn order to test the relationship between the variables, two things were necessary: firstly, to propose measurements of conceptual framework, and secondly, to form the hypothesis of research to be studied quantitatively. Measurement and Experimental Design The sample used in this study was composed of 150 undergraduate students whose average age ranged between 20 and 22 years old. In order to minimize sampling confound, the students were from different areas and levels of study, different income levels, and were from three different universities, each in different cities in the country.Type of Recalled Placements: Qualitative Analysis of Frequencies According to Table 2, the frequencies of recall of the product placements show that BMW stands out more than the others because it is the only audio-visual placement in the film. It was also repeated several times. Next is Ericsson, whose high scores are due to the familiarity of the brand to Tunisians. The scores may be high for Ericsson, but its rate of recall is low because of its very subtle placement in the film.According to Khalbous and Maazaul, â€Å"the qualitative analysis showed that the high scores of recall were obtained for the audio-visual placements, integrated in the scenario of film, where the brand is presented in a very visible way, accompanied by several integrated and prominent recalls of placement. These results agree results agree with the conclusions of Lehu’s study (2005), according to which the traditional criteria of the placement does not systematically guarantee the success of a placement, by enhancing the recall of the brand.It is thus necessary to consider a global approach integrating the various creative techniques of placement. † Three Things I Liked First of all, the topic was interesting to me because I can relate my own experiences to it. For instance, I have seen a few James Bond movies, and what I love mostly about them is the cars. When I think of James Bond, I think of an Aston Martin V12 Vanquish, a dream car of mine only because of the film James Bond 007- Die Another Day.Obviously, the product placement caught my attention, like it did to most of the sample of college students in Africa that were being studied, and was memorable to me, since I’m still talking about it today, even though I saw the film about 5 years ago. Another thing I liked was the study about audio-visual seeming to make the biggest impact on product memorization. I agree with this conclusion because while searching for a movie clip online of my favorite moment of the James Bond 007 Aston Martin V12 Vanquish, I s tumbled onto the wrong clip.I didn’t even remember the part when James Bond’s assistant introduces him to the Vanquish. Based upon research done, the article tells me why: because there was no sound to go along with it. The only part of the movie (or actually, the car) I remember was a very noisy moment full of engine revs and tire squeals. I also liked the study they did on emotion influencing memory, and agree with it also. I can remember when I saw the James Bond movie at the theater, and the feeling I had while watching James Bond drive the Aston Martin on a sheet of ice during a high-speed chase.I was scared, nervous, excited, and my adrenaline was pumping. Immediately after the scene, I turned to my boyfriend and asked â€Å"What kind of car was that? † because I knew it belonged on my dream list. To this day, when someone asks me what my dream car is, I say â€Å"An Aston Martin V12 Vanquish. † I’ve never seen the movie again, but that car, and the feeling I had when I saw it has stayed with me. A few minutes ago, when I went to YouTube and did a search for the â€Å"007 ice chase† I eventually got the right clip; the one that gave me that feeling of excitement.I was surprised, and a little disappointed that I didn’t get the same feeling. Actually, I’m thinking of changing my dream car now, because I don’t think it’s quite as attractive as I remembered it being. This raises a question that I didn’t see research done on in the article: What are the benefits of product placement in an international film vs. an international commercial. I’ve seen some pretty in-depth, action-packed car commercials, but none of them have managed to persuade me to let go of my first dream car, the Aston Martin. Why is that?Is it because there isn’t enough time for a commercial to spark that kind of height of emotion in me? Or maybe because I view commercials as being annoying (except f or Super Bowl commercials; those I like because it gives me something to look forward to during the game). Maybe it’s just the whole experience of being in a movie theater, with that special someone, and being surrounded by loud â€Å"Vrooms! †, and hearing others’ reactions to the movie that just can’t be captured by watching a commercial. I don’t know, but I think these researcher guys are onto something! What I Didn’t LikeLike I said before, I would have liked for them to compare the effect of international commercials and the effect of international films because maybe there is a way to get create enough emotion in a short 120 second commercial if it’s in a language not native to the viewers. I would also like to know about the similarities and differences between the effectiveness of product placement in an international film and one that is native if there are any. Question According to Khalbous and Maazaul, high scores of recal l of the products placed in the James Bond film were obtained for what reasons?

Beethoven Paper, about his life and works. - 1966 Words

Ludwig von Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven is a name that is common to most people and is synonymies with great classical music. He is known, quite loosely, as the German composer who created beautiful pieces with an incredible disability. Despite an unhappy family setting and the deafness that struck soon after, the man appeared to rise from his misfortunes and follow his passion. Mr. Beethoven created some of the most wonderful music and is considered one of the greatest musicians of all time. Ludwig, at a very young age, began his career as a marvelous piano player and composer of piano music. Beethoven continued his work expanding to string quartets and other kinds of chamber music, songs, two masses, an opera, and nine symphonies. The†¦show more content†¦Unknown to Beethoven at that time, he was to live out his life in Vienna. Hailed as a genius and a master of improvisation at the piano, Beethoven soon made a name for himself, and by 1794 was known throughout Europe. He faithfully learned the Classical Viennese styles and traditions in music, and then proceeded throughout his career to completely revolutionize them. His earliest compositions reflect the classical restraint of Haydn and Mozart. (Sherrane) At this point, Beethoven was surrounded by a vast number of wealthy and influential people. Funny enough, Ludwig van Beethoven was aided by the van in his name. Many people of the aristocratic society mistook the van to represent nobility (as with the German Von). (Harrison) In 1795 Beethoven was pleased with his brothers decision to take up residency in Vienna. Also in this year, Beethoven began to play in public concerts. This concert was organized by his mentor Haydn. His music selections included Mozart, Haydn, as well as his own. Amazingly, Ludwig was not keen on performing publicly. As a matter of fact, Beethoven only gave one more public appearance in the early period and declined numerous other offers to share with the audience his musical skills. It has been postulated that the composer may have already suffered minor hearing loss, as well as having an overly suspicious personality that caused him to hide from the public eye. (Stanley 17) Beethovens earlyShow MoreRelatedThe Revelation Of Beethovens Childhood1617 Words   |  7 PagesLife as it was for Beethoven had many varying elements, and this research paper will be revealing a lot of what he went through as a young boy all the way to the end of his life and career as the world renowned Ludw ig van Beethoven. The basis for this paper is to express and expound on the life and career of Beethoven, and why he was seen as part of the pivotal transition between the Classical and Romantic eras. The topics that will be discussed will be the revelation of Beethoven’s childhood andRead MoreThe Music Of Ludwig Van Beethoven1701 Words   |  7 PagesResearch Paper Ludwig van Beethoven Music has been around a long time and is a big part of America’s history. There are many styles of music such as, Rap, RB, Jazz, Classical, Oldies and so on. There has been many great composers throughout the years, these people are legends that will stand for ever such as, Beethoven, George Frideric Handel, and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The one artist that I’m going to write about in this paper is the one and only Ludwig van Beethoven. BeethovenRead MoreThe Greatest Composer Of All Time1281 Words   |  6 Pagescomposer, but Beethoven is the greatest composer of all time. Everyone has heard the name Beethoven before. Why is he one of the greatest composer of all time? The answer is easy. He influenced so many composer after he died. 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He had six other siblings, which were three brothers named, Kaspar, Nikolaus, and Franz. His sister’s names were Maria, Anna Maria and Ludwig Maria. Beethoven was very interested in music at a youngRead MoreLife Of The Composer : Ludwig Van Beethoven1597 Words   |  7 PagesLudwig Van Beethoven Music plays an important role in the human life through entertainment, inspiration, conveying messages that help to shape the moral fabric of the society through education, among others. This is made possible through identifying with and relating to the artiste’s or composer’s feelings and aspirations. In trying to understand the intentions for which a particular musical piece has been composed, it is normally prudent to study the life of a composer to better place

Barriers to Critical Thinking - 941 Words

Barriers to Critical Thinking When thinking critically, it is impossible to say that many of us have not come to some kind of barrier in our thought process. Not to say that we cannot overcome them though. All of us have opinions and ideas on just about everything and anything. And those opinions and thoughts could be something that is ingrained in your very being or something you picked up along your path. Those opinions and ideas could be holding you back from thinking critically, even though you may not be aware of it. Though there are more barriers that inhibit critical thinking then I can count on my fingers and toes, some familiar and popular barriers one may face are egotistical thinking, self-serving bias, and of course, emotional†¦show more content†¦Some can’t deal with the idea of seeming inadequate in any way. Others feel the need to overcompensate. These factors, among others, lead to individuals lying or finding excuses for their short comings. My mother for example, has an excuse fo r everything. Sometimes it seems like every conversation we have is her complaining about some aspect of her life, and then coming off with an excuse to validate the complaint. It is incredibly frustrating. This example is a sure way to prohibit one’s own critical thinking abilities. Serving oneself with affirmations regardless of the outcome is selfish and unfair. In order to overcome this self-serving bias, you have to relinquish thoughts of inadequacy and accept that no one is perfect. Frankly, it’s unfair to yourself and others to never take the blame for your wrong doings or mistakes. Having the ability to know you have â€Å"goofed† and find a way to improve, so it never happens again, is actually critically thinking. You are aware and accepting of the problem and devise a solution. It’s much more progressive and thought provoking to fix and issue rather than ignore it, or place blame elsewhere. The Emotional Barriers â€Å"Emotions can affect and inspire thought, said William James, but he also said they can destroy it† (Goodpastor amp; Kirby, 2007, Chapter 2). There is a wide range of beautiful and heart wrenching emotions that humans feel. Emotions mold us, change us, and inevitably make us who we are. But emotionsShow MoreRelatedBarriers to Critical Thinking1250 Words   |  5 Pagesof Critical Thinking Skills Critical thinking is a rich concept that has been developing throughout the past 2500 years. Critical thinking is the intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing and evaluating information gathered from observation as a guide to belief and action. Critical thinking skills are important because they enable students â€Å"to deal effectively with social, scientific, and practical problems† (Shakirova, 2007, p. 42). Besides that, critical thinkingRead MoreEssay about Barriers and Obstacles to Critical Thinking728 Words   |  3 PagesBarriers and Obstacles to Critical Thinking Your Name PHL 251 March 21, 2011 Philip Reynolds Barriers and Obstacles to Critical Thinking Critical thinking helps thinkers to act instead of reacting. Reacting results in hasty decisions that are not always well thought-out. Quick decisions can lead to error or cause more problems. Evaluating decision is important to the decision-making process. During reflections a thinker can rethink what the outcome was and if the problem could have beenRead MoreEssay on Critical Thinking and Ethical Decision Making1036 Words   |  5 PagesCritical thinking and ethical decision making are crucial for academic success as well as career success. Both critical thinking and ethical choices allow an appreciation of diverse points of view using analytic approaches, create a tolerance for and an appreciation of ambiguity, allow for creative problem-solving, and give the ability to integrate knowledge from diverse viewpoints into unified ideas and strategies. To better understand how critical thinking and ethics impacts our success, we mustRead MoreEssay on Critical Thinking/Reflection139 3 Words   |  6 PagesAssessing both critical thinking and the reflection process in learning, these aspects are both intertwined. Without one, you cannot have the other. With the use of critical thinking and reflection this thought process allows us to analyse, assess, evaluate, learn and develop arguments. However this can have a twofold affect in the learning process. The learning process means taking many aspects and perspectives into account to establish an argument. Critical thinking draws on questions such as:Read MoreEssay on Critical Thinking1261 Words   |  6 Pages The concepts of critical thinking and creative thinking are both gaining increasing importance in the world today. Critical thinking allows people to understand difficult concepts in a manner that is clearer and more defined. They can more readily understand those concepts if they employ critical thinking. In all portions of everyday life, a person is expected to make independent judgments. Those judgments are based on experience and knowledge. Without the ability to think critically, everyRead MoreWeek5 Critical Thinking Reflection Essay677 Words   |  3 Pagesthe following questions and answer it in 200 to 300 words using the principles of critical thinking you learned in this course. How can we reduce poverty in the United States? Will receiving a college degree improve your career opportunities? Has the United States peaked as a world power?   Will receiving a college degree improve your career opportunities? Once I choice this question immediately my enculturation barrier surfaced, because as soon as I read the question I said to myself well yes it doesRead More Nature of Logic Essay898 Words   |  4 PagesNature of Logic   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The nature of logic and critical thinking go hand in hand. A person must use logic during the critical thinking process. However, each person’s logic may depend on his/her perceptual process or their perceptual barriers. No person can ever fully understand their own perceptual process in its entirety. The reason being is that no person knows all of their perceptual barriers. Without knowing all of the barriers, how is a person able to determine the process in which theyRead More Logic and Perception Essay1132 Words   |  5 Pagesperceptions which make up our thoughts is called critical thinking. More specifically, critical thinking is the act of combining various, associated thoughts and perceptions with logic and reason to form educated assumptions and answers which speak to that which we did not know before. Critical thinking, just as its name implies, is absolutely vital to life and ensures that the world around us operates in an orderly fashion. Witho ut critical thinking, the world would be full of experienced and seasonedRead MoreEssay about My Journey Towards Acacemid Success663 Words   |  3 Pagesimperative for success. Education impacts the personal and professional side of life. I have been in the pursuit of my degree for quite some time. I have allowed obstacles to distract and discourage me from obtaining my degree. For instance, my language barrier was an impediment for quite some time. I was determined to work and become fluent in the English language. The experience of learning another language was challenging but rewarding. Work is another challenge that I have encountered. I allowed myRead MoreEssay about Critical Thinking: A Necessary Tool for Decision Making1296 Words   |  6 PagesAbstract This paper will define the meaning of critical thinking. I will provide an example of a personal experience when critical thinking had to be used. This paper will also examin the benefits and importance of using critical thinking during the decision-making process. What is Critical Thinking? Critical thinking is an essential tool to good decision-making. Everyone has biases or prejudices which can hinder good decision making. Critical thinking varies depending on the underlying motivation